Lagering of Dusseldorf Alt Ale

[mgortel]

I am planning on brewing a Dusseldorf Alt using Wyeast 1007 (German Ale)
Fermentation range is 55-66 deg.F. I will ferment at 60F

Recipe says to Lager for 3 weeks after fermentation is complete. (Not sure how this makes sense for an ale......)

I think the following is what I should do but I am not sure and looking for advice:

My plan:
1) Transfer beer from fermenter to keg
2) Purge the air out with CO2.....relieve pressure once purged so just a CO2 blanket on top of beer in keg
3) Keg back in temp chamber....reduce temperature to 35 F over maybe 2 days
4) Let lager at 35 F for 3 weeks.

As far as I can tell this seems correct on all I have read......but I am wondering how this will really "lager" if the temperature is out of the 55-66 F temp range for the yeast.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Also should I do a diecetyl rest on this beer after fermentation is complete?

 

[Cider123]

I've used this yeast for 2 alts and they came out nice. Lagering? Well 2-3 weeks at 35 F certainly ain't gonna hurt. They call it lagering, I call it cold crashing and chilling. I also add gelatin to the keg before the big chill. They do clear up nice. I didn't get too fancy with it, it's basically an amber ale.

 

[JimRausch]

I've used WY1007 for altbiers about 7 times over the past 3 years. Altbiers were considered the immediate precursors to true lagers and 1007 is close in character to a lager yeast, hence the lagering recommendation. Absolutely necessary? Probably not, but it will turn out a little better if you do give it a couple weeks at lager temps. The one time I didn't bother with more than a couple days cold crash, my alt turned out OK, but not as good as usual.

 

[mgortel]

Thanks for the feedback guys.......even more excited to brew it now.

I gues since its just a cold crash really I can go ahead and carbonate it while it is "lagering" using the "set and forget" method...that way it is carbonated once the lagering is done?

 

[Owly055]

Lagering is lagering is lagering...... In my opinion. The same things happen to an ale or a lager during lagering...... Lager is a noun........but also a verb. Let's not confuse the two.


H.W.

 

[mgortel]

Do I really need a Diacetyl rest for this? Recipe suggested it but I am not sure why.....the fermentation temp is not that low at 60 F.......and from what I understand the diacetyl rest is usually only used for lagers due to the lower fermentation temps

 

[Yooper]

Do I really need a Diacetyl rest for this? Recipe suggested it but I am not sure why.....the fermentation temp is not that low at 60 F.......and from what I understand the diacetyl rest is usually only used for lagers due to the lower fermentation temps

Maybe. You need a diacetyl rest when you use a yeast that is a diacetyl producer, or when there is diacetyl in the beer that is not wanted.

You may need one with a lager or an ale, or a hybrid. The type of beer generally doesn't dictate whether diacetyl is produced or not, it is related to yeast strain, yeast stress, and the ability of the yeast to digest the diacetyl it produces.

 

[guldalian]

According to wyeast, 1007 does not produce diacetyl. I just made 2 beers with it with no rest and they are perfectly diacetyl free.

 

[mgortel]

According to wyeast, 1007 does not produce diacetyl. I just made 2 beers with it with no rest and they are perfectly diacetyl free.

Sweet...thanks!

Yooper...thank you too for the quick lesson....now I know I can check the specifics of the yeast.....thought they all could produce diacetyl.....lesson learned.

 

[Yooper]

Sweet...thanks!

Yooper...thank you too for the quick lesson....now I know I can check the specifics of the yeast.....thought they all could produce diacetyl.....lesson learned.

Oh, all yeast CAN produce diacetyl (and does), but some are notorious for creating more than they digest/clean up, and will always need a diacetyl rest while others only need a diacetyl rest if there is obvious diacetyl present.